Donald Trump is heaping praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week, calling him a 'great leader' days after the pair's countries emerged from the most punishing trade war in modern American history.
The US president arrived in China's capital on 13 May 2026 for a two-day state visit, met Xi at the Great Hall of the People, and promptly declared the pair have had 'a fantastic relationship' and that he holds 'such respect for China.' The diplomatic warmth stands in direct contrast to a decade's worth of accusations, formal White House statements, and campaign speeches in which Trump characterised Beijing as an economic predator that had 'ripped off the United States like no one has ever done before.'
